


Love Demands Sacrifice

by lesbianfanfiction



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, pearlmethyst - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-21
Updated: 2016-01-13
Packaged: 2018-05-08 05:36:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5485532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbianfanfiction/pseuds/lesbianfanfiction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A commission for the lovely beocookie!</p><p>Amethyst gets injured trying to protect her Pearl, and for some reason, Rose's fountain is doing a bad job of healing her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Kindergarten

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Beocookie6](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beocookie6/gifts).



> Sorry in advance, guys.

            Pearl, Steven, and Amethyst sat on the cream sectional in the beach house’s living room.  Pearl was sitting with Steven half in her lap, listening to the young boy read _The Unfamiliar Familiar_ to her.  She wasn’t particularly enjoying the story, but humored Steven anyway because it made him happy; besides, seeing the young boy smile gave Pearl a sense of joy.

            Amethyst was lying upside down on the couch, her feet up in the air and her head hanging off the edge, reading a magazine that seemed to be mostly about food.

“Gems!” Garnet called as she emerged from the inner temple.

            “What?” Amethyst asked lazily, looking up from her magazine and scratching her belly.  The action caused her black tank top to ride up, exposing a swath of purple skin about two fingers wide.  Pearl blushed deeply as she reached over and yanked the top back into place.  Amethyst lifted her head to give Pearl a side-eyed glance, but Garnet interrupted the small gem before she could comment.

            “We must go to the kindergarten immediately,” Garnet informed the three, stepping onto the warp pad.

            “The kindergarten?  Why?” Pearl asked, her brow creasing in worry.

            “Two more gem fusion experiments have emerged.  We must eliminate them,” Garnet explained, shifting her visor up her nose a bit.  Amethyst rolled off the couch and joined her on the warp pad with a sigh.

            “Can I come, too?” Steven asked excitedly, running up to Garnet with a bright smile.  Pearl followed and stood on the warp pad next to Amethyst.

            “Hmm…” Garnet debated for a minute before nodding, and Steven hopped up next to Pearl with stars in his eyes.  The thin gem patted him on the head with a smile as they warped.

            A bright flash and a minute later, the quartet arrived in the kindergarten.  They looked around warily, finding the area depressing and ominous.  The air felt still and heavy, silence pressing in on them from all sides.  Wisps of fog drifted across the looming walls, curling into the holes left behind by emerging gems and swirling around their feet.

            “This place gets worse and worse every time we come visit,” Pearl murmured, wincing slightly as her quiet voice amplified and echoed off the canyon walls.  Garnet nodded, one hand on Steven’s shoulder, and even Amethyst made a small noise of agreement.

            Garnet picked Steven up, and the gems jumped down to the bottom of the canyon.  The fusion set Steven down as they began walking quietly, peering around them cautiously.

            “The most I can say is that we’ll find both of them somewhere west of here,” Garnet explained softly a few moments later.  “However, they will be split up.”

            “This way, right?” Amethyst asked as she began to drift to the right.

            “Actually, it’s this way,” Pearl corrected her with surprising gentleness, touching Amethyst’s shoulder and leading them to the left.

            Pearl and Amethyst walked in the front, close enough for their arms to nearly brush against each other with every step.  Garnet and Steven travelled just behind them.  All three gems seemed tense, glancing around continuously, while Steven was his usual happy-go-lucky self.

            The only sounds they could hear were their own footsteps echoing off the walls as they searched for the fusion experiments.  Garnet manifested her gauntlets as they walked, Pearl and Amethyst drawing their own weapons shortly afterwards.

            The eerie silence was suddenly broken by a strange, jumping growl, followed by heavy footsteps and what sounded like rocks tumbling down the canyon wall.  The gems spun towards the sound quickly, advancing down an alleyway carved through the rock.  Garnet took the lead, Pearl and Amethyst right on her heels, and Steven lagging a bit behind.  Rounding a corner, the group came face to face with the first fusion experiment.

            The experiment wasn’t very large, standing shorter than Garnet, and was comprised of what looked like four gem shards.  The main body of it was made mostly of a reddish-maroon and a dark teal color, split down the middle; each color sported its own head, complete with gaping maws lined with menacing fangs.  There were four legs and two and a half arms, some crimson, and the rest sickly yellow.  Several more mouths were scattered about the torso of the beast, gnashing the air.

            The fusion experiment stood still for a moment before emitting an ear-splitting screech and scuttling towards them.  Immediately, Garnet grabbed Steven and hauled him to the side whilst Pearl launched her spear, piercing the beast through its thick torso.  A black substance came from the wound, not spurting so much as oozing, as if it were honey.

            “Amethyst, catch!” Garnet yelled, chucking a boulder into the air.  Amethyst lassoed it with her whip, pulling it down onto the gem monster with a shout.

            With a shriek and a puff of dust, the fusion experiment was no more.  Garnet calmly walked over and bubbled the shards before allowing her gauntlets to fade with a sparkle of light.

            “Is that all?” Steven asked, walking up to Garnet with Amethyst and Pearl.  “That wasn’t so bad.”

            “I believe the next creature will be much more difficult to defeat,” Garnet informed the boy, sending the bubble away.

            “How much more difficult can it be?” Amethyst shrugged, her usual laid-back self.  “It’s not like we haven’t fought these guys before.”

            “Well, yes, we’ve fought them before,” Pearl began anxiously, tenting her fingertips, “But only small ones.”

            “Pearl’s right,” Garnet agreed, beginning to head out of the alley they were in and back to the main canyon.  “While I don’t know the exact number of shards the next experiment will be comprised of, I am almost positive it is more than four.”

            “Are we sure it’s safe for Steven to be here?” Pearl worried, momentarily reaching for Garnet’s arm before deciding against it.

            “Steven is a Crystal Gem too,” Garnet responded simply, ruffling the boy’s hair and smiling down at him.  Steven laughed at batted her hand away good-naturedly.  Pearl made a small noise of distress, but otherwise kept quiet.

After a moment of walking, Amethyst bumped into Pearl, grinning up at the tall gem in a reassuring way.

“Don’t worry about it, Pierogi.  Steven’ll be fine,” Amethyst assured her.

“I don’t know…” Pearl wrung her hands together; Amethyst reached for her arm and gently interlaced their fingers for a minute.

“It’ll be okay, P,” Amethyst smiled again, letting go of Pearl’s hand with a blush.  Pearl remained quiet, teal creeping across her cheeks.  Garnet chuckled, happy to see the two getting along so well.  Secretly, she observed the similarities between Ruby and Sapphire and the other two Crystal Gems—Pearl and Amethyst really were just like the two halves of Garnet when they first met.

The group moved as quietly as they could through the kindergarten, listening intently for any sign of the second fusion experiment.  Seconds slipped into minutes as they got more and more anxious about the location of the monster.  Steven, sensing the others’ discomfort, silently slipped his hand into Garnet’s, looking for reassurance.

Garnet picked the boy up and sat him atop her afro without a sound, grinning up at him as she did.  Steven giggled quietly, holding his hand in front of his mouth to muffle the sound.  Pearl glanced back at the two and smiled slightly, happy to see Steven a little less afraid.

Pearl’s head whipped around as a faint sound reached her ears.  Swiftly, she pulled her spear from her gem, tensing and searching futilely for the gem creature.

“Pearl?” Steven asked in a small voice; the tall gem turned to look at the boy.

“Yes, Steven?” Pearl asked as she returned to scanning the kindergarten.

“Did you hear something?”

Pearl was quiet for a moment as she strained to hear anything before sighing and letting her spear dissipate in a brief flash of teal light.

“No.  I must have imagined it,” Pearl admitted, relaxing a bit.

The group continued for a few more steps before Garnet suddenly grabbed Steven off her head and launched to the side, screaming for Pearl and Amethyst to move.

Amethyst immediately pushed Pearl with enough force to send her sprawling twenty feet away, but wasn’t quite fast enough to roll out of the way as the second gem monster crashed down from the sky.

“Amethyst!” Pearl cried.  The monster, who had apparently jumped from a ledge above them, had landed half on top of the purple gem.

“I’m fine!” Amethyst grunted, struggling to free herself from beneath the giant thing that had nearly crushed her.

Steven gasped in horror as he took in the behemoth in front of them.  Garnet set the boy down as she rushed to distract the thing while Pearl helped Amethyst escape.

The fusion experiment was twice as tall as Garnet and easily as wide as Greg’s van, with around a dozen limbs, sticking out in random places along the oblong body.  One of the arms was almost as long as Steven remembered Opal to be tall, ending in a wickedly clawed hand.

Garnet was dodging limbs and punching anything she could get her gauntlets on, her arms a whirlwind of muscle and pain as she utilized her speed and future vision as much as she could.  Meanwhile, Pearl had gotten Amethyst over to Steven and was looking her over for injuries.  The purple gem looked bruised and a bit dusty, but otherwise okay.

“I’m fine, P,” Amethyst told the pale gem, struggling to get to the fusion experiment again.  “Come on, we gotta help Garnet!”  Pearl set her lips in a thin line and nodded, drawing her spear from her gem and charging, slicing and stabbing wherever she could.

Amethyst pulled a whip from her chest, lashing the creature and leaving marks that oozed the same black goo at the first one did.

“I wanna help!” Steven cried, manifesting his shield and rushing forward.

“No, Steven!” Pearl cried, busy blocking attacks from a clawed hand.

Garnet was suddenly hit squarely in the stomach, flying through the air and crashing into the canyon wall, falling with a harsh grunt.  She stayed down for a minute, the pain too much to move.

“Garnet!” Pearl screamed, trying to glance at the fusion over her shoulder as she sliced through an arm.

“’m fine,” Garnet croaked, climbing to her feet and cracking her neck.  She went to rush back into battle, only to falter and gasp in horror.  Pearl and Amethyst turned to see Steven block a couple attacks successfully before his shield broke along with his concentration.

“Steven, move!” Garnet cried, desperately trying to get to the boy; she was too far away, and none of her future possibilities showed her reaching him in time, and the shard monster’s fist was crashing down much too fast.  Garnet watched as if in slow motion as the beast’s huge hand came plummeting down towards the boy she loved as much as if he were her own son.  Pearl’s agonizing scream pierced the air as she, too, tried to get to Steven.

            And then Amethyst’s whip was cracking through the heavy air of the kindergarten, wrapping around the fusion experiment’s wrist and yanking it back towards her.  A stray foot cuffed Steven across the face as the monster was hurtled away, and the boy spun with the force of the blow as he fell, crying out.

            “Steven!” Pearl exclaimed, reaching his side a moment later.  Carefully, the slender gem turned the young boy over, nearly crying with relief as Steven opened his eyes and blinked up at her.  “Let me see it…”

            Pearl examined the tender welt on Steven’s cheek, dizzy with gratitude that it was only going to leave a bruise.

            Amethyst’s shout brought their attention back to the fusion experiment they were fighting.  Pearl turned to Amethyst, drawing out her spear, only to draw in a sharp breath at what she saw.

            The small purple gem was struggling to kick the monster as it held her aloft by the neck.  Although gems didn’t need air, no species found being strangled to be an enjoyable experience, and Amethyst choked and sputtered, desperately trying to break free.

            Garnet and Pearl charged the experiment to save their friend.  As Garnet swerved and dodged the extra limbs to get in close and punch the bulk of the thing, Pearl threw spear after spear at the limb holding Amethyst.

            Finally, finally, Amethyst dropped to the ground, where she rolled away and shakily stood to catch her strength.  Garnet continued to wail on the fusion experiment as the beast grabbed and swung at her, knocking her visor off and leaving bruises over her smooth russet skin.  The fusion grunted in pain, her face screwing up, and punched the beast as hard as she could, sending it flying.

            “Steven, stay there!” Amethyst yelled as she and Pearl ran off after the fusion experiment.  The thing was getting to its feet, down one limb from the beginning but still a formidable opponent.  Amethyst pelted the beast with punishing lashes as Pearl darted in close, pirouetting and leaping around and over limbs to stab at the experiment’s soft belly.

            Pearl suddenly cried out as the fusion experiment managed to grab her around the middle and lift her into the air, digging its claws into her gemflesh.  Trickles of teal blood ran down her body, drawing rivulets down her slender legs, and tears sprang to her eyes.

            “Pearl!” Amethyst screamed, wrapping her whip around the limb that held the slender gem.  She yanked, hard, and the arm popped off at the joint, bringing both it and Pearl crashing into the purple gem.

            The pair tumbled to the ground, and Amethyst was quick to get to her feet, rushing back to fight once more.  Garnet was behind them, making sure Steven was okay, when she suddenly spun to watch the fight, gasping.

            The fusion experiment was making a beeline for Pearl, sensing she was injured.  Amethyst tried to stop the beast, but her whips were barely slowing it down.  The thing reached for Pearl with its longest arm, claws grasping, and Amethyst screamed in horror, running and throwing herself in front of the slender gem.

            The purple gem grunted in pain as the beast’s claws snapped shut around her midsection, but remained calm.  Drawing a whip from her gem, Amethyst lassoed a rock that was sticking out of the canyon wall directly above the fusion experiment.

            “I love you, P,” Amethyst murmured, casting one last glance at the pale gem.  Pearl was on her feet again, trying to fight, desperation in her wide blue eyes as she followed the whip up to the rock it was attached to.  Pearl gasped as understanding and pain flooded her features, her gaze snapping back to Amethyst’s face.  Their eyes locked.

            “Amethyst, no!” Garnet yelled, trying to reach them in time.  But Amethyst merely smiled at Pearl sadly before pulling down with all her might.

            Boulders tumbled down like speeding cars, landing on the gem beast and burying it in two tons of rock.  It thrashed under the burden for a minute before finally poofing, leaving Amethyst intact, but lying face down, covered in the strange black goo the experiment had been bleeding.

            She wasn’t moving.


	2. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened to Amethyst exactly? Good question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter after this one!

In the aftermath of the avalanche, Pearl was left sprawled on the ground.  Steven had clutched Garnet’s leg to keep himself upright, but now he slowly released her, apprehensively looking at the other two gems.  Pearl lifted her head and struggled to get to her feet, clutching her bleeding midsection and groaning in pain.

_Oh my stars, no, no, please no…_ Pearl thought, staring at Amethyst.

            “Amethyst?” Pearl’s quiet voice echoed off the rocky walls of the kindergarten.  Garnet and Steven drew near, glancing between Pearl and Amethyst.  Pearl seemed to be caught between her urge to run to Amethyst’s side, and her fear of what she might find, trembling as she stood there holding her stomach.

“Pearl, are you alright?” Garnet asked her, but the slender gem seemed not to hear her, her wide gaze trained on Amethyst’s prone form.  The purple gem was unnaturally still, and as they watched, her form flickered like a videogame glitch.  With a gasp, Pearl took a few stumbling steps forward, and then she was running, limping at fast as she could to her side.

“Amethyst!” Pearl screamed, falling to her knees beside the purple gem.  Reaching out, she carefully rolled her friend over onto her back.  Long hair, sticky with the black sap, obscured Amethyst’s face; Pearl gently smoothed it out of the way, dirtying her hands.

Amethyst’s navy eyes were half open, staring at Pearl with a blank expression.  Her mouth hung slack, foamy spittle pooling at the corners.  Her body was completely limp in Pearl’s arms, and she felt cold to the touch.

“Can you hear me, Amethyst?” Pearl asked, trying to look at Amethyst’s gem.  Most of her body was absolutely covered in the black goo that the creature had bled; as it dried, it hardened quickly, forming an impenetrable shell around Amethyst.  Her tank top was glued over her gem; under the viscous substance, Pearl could glimpse trickles of purple blood.

“Is her gem hurt?” Steven’s tiny voice came from just behind Pearl; she glanced back to see both the young boy and Garnet looming over her.  Steven’s face was creased with worry.

“I—I don’t know,” Pearl admitted shakily, “This substance coating her is blocking any attempt to get to her gem.”

Amethyst’s body flickered again, drawing a gasp from Pearl, who clutched her chest in worry before wrapping her arms around Amethyst again, holding her closer to her.

_Why couldn’t it have been me instead,_ Pearl thought, staring down at the purple gem, anxiety and concern buzzing around her mind like a pack of hornets.  Her hands trembled slightly as she held Amethyst, and her face felt numb with shock.

“Garnet?” Steven looked up to the fusion, “What do we do?” The tallest gem placed a hand on her hip and adjusted her glasses as she thought for a moment.

“We must take her to Rose’s fountain immediately,” Garnet told them decisively.

“But—couldn’t I try to heal her?” Steven asked, his voice small.  He looked back to Amethyst, tears beginning to prick his eyes—he wanted so badly to help her, to prove that he was still a valuable member of the Crystal Gems.

“Steven,” Garnet began, crouching down to his level and putting one hand on his shoulder.  Reaching up, Garnet removed her shades, allowing him to see her face clearly.  There was pain and uncertainty in her mismatched eyes, and it made Pearl’s heart drop to her stomach.  “We don’t know what this stuff does.  I don’t want you getting hurt.  It’s safer to take Amethyst to Rose’s fountain than to risk your health.  Does that make sense?”

Steven searched Garnet’s face for a moment before nodding slightly, trying to compose a brave face.

“Why isn’t Amethyst regenerating?” Pearl asked quietly, staring down at her friend.  The others were quiet, Garnet staring at Amethyst as if she could see the answer if she just looked hard enough.

“I…don’t know,” Garnet finally replied, sighing.

“That’s good, right?” Steven asked hopefully.  “It means that she’s not that hurt.”

“We don’t know that, Steven,” Pearl told the boy gently, reaching to lay a hand on his shoulder.  She stopped when she saw her palm coated in the black goo, bringing her hand up to her face for closer inspection.  A moment later, a sharp pain bolted through her hand, making her cry out.

“Pearl?” Garnet moved closer to the tall gem.

“It’s—argh—fine, Garnet,” Pearl tried to reassure the fusion, who clearly wasn’t having any of that.  Garnet grabbed her wrist—careful not to touch the sap—and examined her hand.

“How much does it hurt?” Garnet asked Pearl sharply.  Pearl winced as her other hand began to throb as well, looking down to see both palms covered in the stuff.

“It…hurts quite a lot,” Pearl finally admitted, and Garnet released her with a frown.  Pearl turned to look at Amethyst in a panic, realizing how much agony the purple gem must be in with her entire body covered.

“Let’s go,” Garnet ordered, putting her glasses back on as she stood back up.  The fusion stepped over to pick Amethyst up.

“No!” Pearl jumped in front of Amethyst, then blushed, rubbing her arms.  “I mean…I’ll carry her.  I don’t want you to get hurt, too.”  Garnet watched as Pearl bent and shakily lifted the purple gem, wincing in pain as the goo covered her torso.  The thin gem turned to see Steven and Garnet staring at her.

“Pearl, are you…okay?” Steven asked uncertainly, peering up at her face.  Pearl nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

_It’s my fault Amethyst is hurt…_ the thought jumped unbidden to Pearl’s mind, and she swallowed hard.

“Let’s…let’s just get going,” Pearl murmured after a moment, glancing back down at Amethyst.  Her eyes were still open, staring into Pearl’s face vacantly.

_If I could have just been stronger, Amethyst wouldn’t have had to save me._

The group made their way back to the warp pad in silence, forced to walk slowly as Pearl’s body sang with pain.  When they got there, Garnet gave Steven a lift up, and the four of them warped to Rose’s fountain.

As the light from the warp pad dissipated, Pearl peered around anxiously.  The fountain still appeared to be flowing freely, the plants staying where they should; the tall gem sighed in relief.

Pearl made her way over to the fountain with Amethyst and carefully lowered herself onto the ledge surrounding the pool, dangling her feet in the warm water.  Pearl glanced at Amethyst for a moment and brushed her fingers over her eyelids, closing them, before she slipped into the pool with Amethyst still in her arms.

The two gems surfaced quickly, as Pearl was worried about leaving Amethyst underwater in her current state.  As she broke the surface, Pearl sighed in relief as the punctures that littered her stomach healed.

Carefully, she laid Amethyst’s head on the side of the fountain, allowing her limp body to float in the water.  Pearl’s hands and torso were still humming with pain, and she frantically tried to wash the black goo off, rubbing her palms together under the healing waters briskly.

Slowly, a grey foam flaked off her hands, mingling throughout the fountain and beginning to bubble.  Pearl scrubbed until the pain turned to a dull ache, then turned to Amethyst. She pulled her friend close to her, rubbing over her coated skin.  The sap was thicker on Amethyst, and harder to get off.  Having soaked a bit in the warm water, Amethyst’s shirt had softened some, and Pearl was trying to pull it away to see her gem—but it wasn’t moving.

“Garnet!” Pearl called, panicked.  The fusion, who had stayed with Steven near the warp pad, hurried over to the fountain.  “I can’t get to Amethyst’s gem!”

“Take her tank top off,” Garnet ordered calmly, turning to join Steven once again.

“W-what?!” Pearl squawked, embarrassed.  Garnet turned back.

“Take. Her. Top. Off,” the fusion repeated.  “Cut it off if you need to.”

“But—”

“No buts, Pearl,” Garnet replied sternly, “You need to check her gem.”

With that, Garnet walked back to the warp pad to make sure Steven couldn’t see into the fountain with Amethyst’s decency about to be exposed.

Pearl swallowed dryly as she turned back to Amethyst.  Back on Homeworld, she had seen hundreds, if not thousands, of gems completely exposed.  As a pearl, it was her duty to service other gems sexually.  Pearl, being defective, had gained her own consciousness, and loathed being forced to perform acts she didn’t want to do—but there was little a weak pearl such as herself could do about it.

As such, Pearl was extremely hesitant to unclothe Amethyst without her explicit, sober consent—but what could she do?  Amethyst was severely injured, and there was no way of checking her gem without exposing her at least somewhat.

“I’m sorry, Amethyst,” Pearl whispered at she summoned her spear and carefully cut through the purple gem’s tank top.  Pushing the stiff fabric out of the way, Pearl was granted a good look at Amethyst’s gem—as well as her black bra, cupping full breasts.  Teal flooded Pearl’s face as she examined Amethyst’s gem, trying her damnest to ignore the ample bust right under her nose.  Being a pearl, she had never been touched before joining the Crystal Gems; as it stood, only Rose had pleasured her, and even then was only after considerable begging on Pearl’s part.  Naturally, Pearl was loathe to touch anyone after her harsh treatment on Homeworld, so it was easy to resist touching Amethyst—but that didn’t stop the indecent thoughts that raged through her head.

Amethyst’s gem was almost perfect, glimmering in the sunlight—but ‘almost’ was the key word in this case; there was a crack running in from the left edge.  It was small, but there.

Frantically, Pearl shoveled water onto Amethyst’s chest, dousing her gem over and over with the healing essence.  It didn’t seem to make a difference; the crack remained stubbornly as it was.  Pearl began to panic, pulling Amethyst closer to her and holding everything but her head below the water.  Amethyst lay limp in her arms, occasionally flickering.  Tears began to bud in Pearl’s eyes; if Rose’s fountain couldn’t heal Amethyst, nothing could.

_If I hadn’t been so careless, Amethyst would be okay,_ Pearl thought, staring at the purple gem through her tears

As the two floated in the pool, Steven and Garnet hung back.  Steven watched the pair carefully, concern etched into his young face.  Looking for comfort, he edged closer to Garnet, hugging her leg.  The fusion laid a reassuring hand on Steven’s shoulder, gazing steadily at Pearl and Amethyst.

“Why are they still in the fountain?” Steven asked at length.  Garnet made a small, indecisive noise in her throat, and Steven glanced up at her.  “Garnet?”

“Amethyst’s gem must be cracked,” Garnet said at length.  Steven face pinched with concern.

“Why isn’t the fountain working?  Amethyst was healed almost right away last time.”

“I…don’t know.”  Garnet’s voice was gruff with frustration.  Steven hugged her leg tighter, unwilling to let go, and the fusion picked him up, holding him on her hip.

As Garnet comforted the boy, Pearl was still trying to heal Amethyst.  She rubbed at Amethyst’s gem under the water, her vision blurry with tears.  Her friend remained inert in her hold, head lolling back, her long hair billowing around them like smoke.  Eventually, Pearl simply laid her head over Amethyst’s chest, closed her eyes, and sobbed.  She cried until her eyes ran dry, and then kept going, dry heaves wracking her small frame.

Suddenly, the purple gem beneath her twitched.  Pearl pulled back, searching Amethyst’s face for signs of life.  Her eyelids fluttered slightly, and Pearl’s breath hitched hopefully.

“Amethyst?” Pearl whispered.  Slowly, slowly, Amethyst’s eyes began to open, and her mouth trembled.  Dark navy eyes finally focused on the slender gem’s face, who bit her lip in anticipation.

“P-Pearl?”


	3. Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when Amethyst wakes up?

“Amethyst!” Pearl cried, hugging the purple gem close.  Tears started anew in her cerulean eyes, spilling over and dripping into pale lilac hair beneath her.

Pearl pulled back to look her friend in the face, cupping her cheeks in her spindly hands.

“I was so worried about you,” Pearl confessed, her voice wobbling, “How are you feeling?”

While Amethyst thought of what to say, Steven attempted to get out of Garnet’s arms, trying to run to the fountain; Garnet held him under one arm and walked back to the warp pad.

“Garnet, put me down! I wanna check on Amethyst,” Steven complained.

“You can do that later,” Garnet told him, warping them back to the house.  “We need to give them space for now.”

Back at the fountain, Pearl was still holding Amethyst in her arms.

“Amethyst?” Pearl prompted gently.

“I feel…sore,” Amethyst admitted after a moment, her cheeks flushing dark purple.  “Other than that, I’m okay.”

“Thank the stars,” Pearl nearly sobbed, gathering Amethyst ever closer, burying her head in the crook between Amethyst’s neck and shoulder.  Amethyst wrapped her arms around her slender friend, confused as her reaction.

Without thinking, Pearl kissed Amethyst’s neck, gripping the back of her black tank top.  Amethyst pulled back, shocked, and Pearl suddenly moved in, pressing her lips to Amethyst’s.  One of her spindly hands tangled themselves in her hair, pulling her closer, and the other was locked around her neck as if Pearl was afraid she’d disappear.

Amethyst’s brain short-circuited.  Pearl’s lips were cool and firm on hers, still wet with the fountain’s water and salty from her tears.  Amethyst closed her eyes automatically, sliding her hands up Pearl’s back to gather her closer.  She parted her lips slightly to deepen the kiss, only for Pearl to suddenly stiffen and yank herself away.

Pearl clapped a hand over her mouth, staring at Amethyst is apparent horror.

“A-Amethyst…” Pearl stuttered, pulling away from the smaller gem entirely, “I-I’m so sorry!”  Tears began to form, clinging to her blonde eyelashes, and her breath caught in her throat.  The thin gem scrambled out of the fountain, her eyes wide in her pale face, and ran back towards the warp pad.

“Pearl, wait!” Amethyst called, heaving herself out of the healing waters with a wince of pain, scurrying to get to Pearl.  The taller gem had her back to Amethyst, hiding her face. “it’s okay!”

But Pearl warped away before Amethyst could reach her, leaving the purple gem to stare at the empty warp pad.  Amethyst looked down to find her tank top ripped apart, revealing her bra.

Why was her shirt cut open?  Did Pearl…?  No, there had to be a logical explanation.  She wouldn’t have done it without good reason.  Right?

Frowning in confusion, Amethyst pulled her tank top closer around her dripping form and stepped onto the warp pad, warping back to the beach house.

As the light faded, Amethyst saw Garnet and Steven sitting on the couch.

“Hello, Amethyst,” Garnet greeted her calmly.

“Amethyst! Are you okay? Where’s Pearl?” Steven asked quickly, jumping up and running to stand in front of the purple gem.

“She’s not here?” Amethyst asked, surprised.  Steven shook his head.

“Nope.”

“Hmm…” Garnet murmured, getting up.  “Amethyst, go get dry. You’re dripping on the floor.  I’m going to find Pearl.”

“Yeah, okay,” Amethyst muttered sullenly, trudging into the temple.  Steven watched as Garnet warped away in a flash of bluish-white light, leaving him alone.

Amethyst wandered through her room, pondering what had happened in Rose’s fountain. 

Why had Pearl cut through her tank top?  Why was she still in so much pain?  Why could she barely remember anything since pulling the rockslide down on her own head?  She knew she hadn’t retreated to her gem to heal—she would have felt that—but all she could remember was searing pain and a blurry vision of Pearl for the last few hours, until waking up in the fountain.

Amethyst eventually found a mostly clean sheet sticking out of a bathtub, which she used to dry herself off.  She phased a new tank top on and fell into a pile of blankets and pillows, sighing heavily.  She felt restless, her body still twinging with the mysterious pain every once and a while, and she tossed and turned as she tried to get comfortable.

“Ugh!” the purple gem eventually grunted in annoyance.  What happened in Rose’s fountain?!  Why did Pearl run away after she kissed her?  Endless questions swirled through her head like leaves in a strong wind.

Where did Pearl go? Amethyst flopped over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling, far above her.  And why did she go?  Was she ashamed of kissing her?  Was it a mistake?

Amethyst was going to drive herself crazy with these unanswerable questions.  With a groan, the purple gem rolled over, pressing a pillow over her head.  She fought with herself to fall asleep, but the torment continued.

Pearl’s lips had been so soft on hers…and the way her hands had locked into her messy hair and around her neck; it had felt so desperate, almost as if Pearl was afraid of losing her.

Amethyst remembered the feeling of Pearl’s back under her fingers, each vertebra a tiny mountain to climb.  Her skin had been cool, still dripping Rose’s healing waters; Amethyst remembered that Pearl didn’t like to have a high body temperature, and kept her heart rate slow and her blood thin—it’s not like she needed either anyways.  Pearl loathed feeling ‘impure’ as she put it; she healed any wound she received, no matter how small, and kept her hands smooth and soft, despite the years and years of sword fighting.

In contrast, Amethyst yearned to feel more human.  Her temperature was hot, warmer that a human’s, and her heart beat strong and steady, pumping blood throughout her body construct.  She kept a digestive track and lungs; didn’t bother to heal small scrapes and blisters she received, resulting in her skin growing calloused and scarred.  She and Pearl really were opposites in every sense of the word.

But the way Pearl had felt in her arms, her long form melting against her, the small sigh that had slipped between thin lips; it haunted Amethyst, called to her; she longed to feel that way again.

Frustration and confusion were boiling under Amethyst’s skin, sending her thoughts into a frenzy.  She wanted to run and search, to find Pearl and pull her close, to murmur sweet nothings against her lips as she kissed her again and again.

Without warning, Amethyst screamed into the pillows, venting her emotions out on the unsuspecting fabric.  Sitting up, she pummeled her fists into their giving surfaces, punching them over and over until one ripped, feathers billowing up around her, sticking to her still-drying hair and only adding to her annoyance.

With a huff, Amethyst hopped up, heading for the door to the beach house, shaking herself to dislodge the feathers clinging to her form.

Her door opened with the sound of gum unsticking from a shoe, revealing both Steven and Garnet sitting on the couch once more.  Amethyst scowled as she made her way into the kitchen, grabbing a soda from the fridge and throwing the whole can into her mouth, biting down and loving the way the fizzy drink exploded between her teeth.

“Hello, Amethyst,” Garnet said eventually.  The purple gem swallowed her now chewed-up can and turned to look at the fusion.

“’Sup?” she asked, trying to sound unfazed.  She leaned against the counter nonchalantly, eyeing her teammate.  Garnet shared a cryptic look with Steven before turning back to Amethyst.

“I found Pearl in a beach in India,” Garnet began, crossing her arms.  “She was quite upset, but refused to tell me why.”

“It’s not my fault!” Amethyst burst out, throwing her hands into the air.  “I don’t get it either!”

“That’s not what I meant,” Garnet replied calmly.

“She won’t calm down,” Steven admitted sadly.

“You need to talk to her,” Garnet agreed.

“M-me?!” Amethyst squawked, her face flooding royal purple.  “Why don’t you do it?!”

“Because I’m not the one she needs to talk to.”

“But—” the purple gem protested, pushing off the counter and staring at Garnet.

“No buts, Amethyst,” Garnet frowned, staring back.  Amethyst gawked at her for a few moments.  “She’s in her room.  Go. Now.”

“Fine,” Amethyst growled, turning and stalking towards the temple door sullenly.

“Be gentle with her, Amethyst,” Garnet gave her a last piece of advice before the temple door closed behind her.  The purple gem made her way to the puddle that connected to Pearl’s room, pacing next to it anxiously.

Amethyst scrubbed her palms down her face with a sigh, trying to calm down.  Why was she so nervous?  It was just Pearl, her teammate.  And friend.

And long-time crush.

She shook those thoughts from her head, jumping into the puddle before she could chicken out.

Emerging on the other side, Amethyst looked around warily for Pearl, expecting to see her dancing gracefully or practicing her sword fighting like she usually was whenever the purple gem invaded her room, but she saw no sign of the slender gem.

“Pearl?” Amethyst called uncertainly, pulling herself up onto the water’s surface, which formed a solid walking surface beneath her feet.  The only thing she could hear was the constant, gentle tinkling of the water around her.  She leapt up onto the tallest pillar of water for a better vantage point.  “Pearl, where are you?”

A flurry of movement caught Amethyst’s eye, and she turned to see Pearl jumping onto the lowest pillar, hiding behind another, taller pillar.  Straining her ears, Amethyst heard a muffled sob, and her heart lurched.

The small gem made her way over to Pearl’s pillar, finding her sitting on the edge facing away from Amethyst, her legs dangling over empty space.  Amethyst stopped halfway across the pillar, uncertain.

“Pearl?” Amethyst asked quietly.  The slender gem shivered slightly, but otherwise ignored her.  “Pearl, please talk to me.  What’s wrong?”

“I—I’m sorry,” Pearl whispered, so softly that Amethyst almost couldn’t hear her.

“Why?” Amethyst inched closer to her.

“I—I kissed you,” Pearl was astonished she even had to say it out loud, and she spun around to face the other gem.  Her eyes were filled with tears, and the sight broke Amethyst’s heart.

“So?” Amethyst kneeled in front of Pearl, reaching for her hand.  Pearl shrank back slightly, but let Amethyst entwine her thin fingers with hers.

“So—so I just—attacked you!” Pearl exclaimed, tears spilling over.  “You made no move on me, and I just—just—”

“Just did what I’ve wanted to do for years?” Amethyst cut in, albeit gently.

“I—you—what?” Pearl stuttered, her gaze finally meeting Amethyst’s.

“You really couldn’t tell?” Amethyst wondered, noting the way Pearl now leaned towards her.

“Tell what?” Pearl breathed, her free hand drifting forward.

“Tell just how in love I am with you,” Amethyst murmured.  Pearl’s hand found its way to Amethyst’s neck; Amethyst wrapped her arm around her slim waist, pulling her flush against her.

“You love me?” Pearl’s voice was feather-light, afraid to break the spell.

“I’ve loved you for longer than you can imagine,” Amethyst replied, just as softly.  Pearl unlaced their fingers so she could rake hers through Amethyst’s mane of lilac hair.  Amethyst trailed her hand up Pearl’s ribs, sliding up to gently cup her cheek.

“But I’m just a pearl,” the slender gem faltered, and Amethyst shook her head, smiling.

“No, you’re not,” Amethyst told her gently, rubbing her thumb in smooth circles over Pearl’s cheekbone.  “You’re so much more than that.  You’re strong and brave.  You’re an amazing fighter, and an even better friend.”

“Do you really think that?” Pearl bit her lip, flicking her gaze from Amethyst’s eyes to her mouth and back.

“Yes.”

“I—I don’t know what to say,” Pearl stumbled over her words.

“Just say whatever you’re thinking,” Amethyst urged, her heart lurching with anxiety.  Pearl paused, moving ever closer.

“I love you,” Pearl murmured, looking at Amethyst with infinite softness in her gaze.  Amethyst breathed a sigh of relief, the tension in her belly melting away, leaving her feeling nearly giddy.

“You do?”

“Why else would I have kissed you?” Pearl retorted.  Their faces were less than a foot apart, and Amethyst grinned.

Amethyst closed the space between them, pressing her lips to Pearl’s, sliding her hand from her cheek into her soft peach hair.  Pearl let out a tiny sound, clutching Amethyst closer.  Her lips were so soft and full, nearly hot against her own.  Pearl had never felt so happy and safe, cradled on Amethyst’s lap, her chest thrumming with a strange energy.

Parting her lips slightly, Amethyst deepened the kiss just a bit, sending Pearl’s head spinning.  She broke away only once a thought interrupted the joyful haze of her mind.

“A-Amethyst…” Pearl wondered, “What is this?  What are we?”

“Whatever we want to be,” Amethyst replied with a grin, pulling Pearl back in.  Pearl melted into her arms, buzzing with joy.

She and Amethyst may have their insecurities and sorrows, but together, they had a perfect balance.  They were happy because they were together.

Opal was around a lot after that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! This was a commission for the lovely beocookie :) if you are interested in commissioning me, you may email me at rachaela97@gmail.com, or private message me at forever-shipping-lesbians.tumblr.com.


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